The proposed project BASIC investigates the question how to guarantee the provision of affordable and reliable basic services in the liberalised markets for electricity, telecommunication, public transport and postal services in Europe.

The right of Europeans to have reasonable access to electricity, telecommunication, public transport and postal services is largely undisputed. While this statement may presently be unproblematic for the densely populated areas in the centre of Europe it becomes highly problematic for the peripheral and mountainous regions of the continent.

The liberalisation of the markets for telecommunications and electricity is well advanced, and public transport and postal services are bound to follow in the coming years. The specific network properties of those industries make them a somewhat peculiar object for liberalisation and require an advanced set of intelligent rules and regulations to function properly in the long term.

BASIC will address the issues related to the concept of reasonable provision of basic services as well as their implications for the liberalisation of network industries in Europe.